Portable connecting-track.



No. 678,987. Patented July 23, I90L' H. .G. STIFF.

PORTABLE CONNECTING TRACK.

(Application filed Nov. 27, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES P ENT? OF HENRY C. STIFF, OF J OHNSTOWN PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LORAIN STEEL COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

PORTABLE CONNECTING-TRACK.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 678,987, dated July 23, 1901. Application filed November 27, 1900. Serial No. 37,940 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY O. STIFF, of Johnstown, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and-useful Improvement in Portable Connecting-Tracks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in portable connectingtracks for street-railways,and is especially applicable to structures of that type which can be placed over and secured to the rails of the permanent track.

The object of my invention is to provide means of simple and effective character for tying together and securing the members of the portable track in such a manner that they are not only held from spreading laterally, but also from creeping longitudinally on the underlying main rails. There is considerable tendency to this creeping action in the structures as heretofore generally constructed, and as the two rails of each portable track .may creep independently and to different extents considerable trouble often resultsas, for instance, where one of the tongue-switches is so displaced that it is in advance of the corresponding mate. Difficulties of this kind my invention is designed to entirely obviate.

I accomplish the above-stated objects by means of novelly constructed and arranged tie-clamps for the members of the portable track, all as hereinafter described,and pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a portable track embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 a transverse section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an inverted perspective view, with the parts slightly separated, showing the manner in which the tie-clamps engage the track p is connected to the rail member A; D, the

mate which connects the rail 0 to the rail B; E E, the two tongue-switches opposite the respective mates D D, and F F are the frogs which form the intersections of rails O O with the rails A and B.

The structures D D, E E, and F F herein and in the claims will be generally termed switch-pieces.

G indicates the clamps which secure the portable structure to the permanent traclc way, and H indicates expansion-joints in the rail members 0 O, which adapt the structure for use in connection with tracks of the same gage, but of different distance between tracks.

K designates tie and clamp bars by means of which the members of each track are prevented lateral separation and also longitudinal creeping movement. These bars are each provided with a pocket Zcat each end, in which the track members rest and in which they are held without the provision of fastening devices. WVhile these bars may obviously be made in a single piece, bent or otherwise shaped to form the pockets in, for economy and simplicity of construction, I prefer to make them with separate end pieces riveted or bolted thereto and bent upwardly at their free ends to form one wall of the said pockets, the other wall being formed by the ends of the bar proper. The length of these pieces and the consequent width of the pockets depend upon the cross-section of the track members which they are to seat. Secured to the under sides of the switch-pieces and track members are lugs Z, (see Fig. 3,) between which the end pieces k fit and which act to prevent any independent endwise movement of the track members. I preferably employ one of these combined tie and clamp bars for connecting each of the switches E E to its corresponding mate and also one for connecting each of the frogs F F to the oppositerail member of the same track.

It will be readily seen that the tie-bars and clamps constructed and arranged in the manner above described effectually hold the track members from any creeping movement independent of each other, and also greatly brace and stiffen the entire structure. They may be laid directly upon the rails of the permanent track without any fastenings for them? selves or for the track members which they seat except those above described.

The utility of the invention above described will be better appreciated when the portable character of the structure to which it relates is remembered, together with the consequent desirability of making it with the fewest possible number of parts, without bolts or other fastenings which are likely to become lost or misplaced and which require time to adjust.

I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement of parts which I have herein shown and described, since variations may be made in the details thereof without departing from the spirit and scope ofmy invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, IS-r- 1. In a portable connecting-track, the combination with the switch-pieces and rail members comprising the same, of the combined tie and clamp bars, one of which connects each of said switch-pieces with the opposite portion or member of the same track, said bars having an interlocking engagement with said switchpieces and the opposite track members which prevents both endwise and lateral independent movement thereof.

Ina portable connecting-track, the combination with the switch-pieces and rail mem-v bers comprising the same, and the clamps for securing the structure to the permanent trackway, of the combined clamp and tie bars 1 Witnesses:

connecting the said switch-pieces, to each other or to the opposite member or the track at points adjacent to said clamps, said bars having an interlocking engagement with said switch-pieces and opposite track members which prevents both endwise and lateral independent movement thereof.

3. In a portable connecting-track, the combination withithe switch-pieces and rail members comprising the same, of the transverse bars having pockets at their end portions to seat the said switch-pieces and rails, said bars forming ties which connect each of said pieces with an opposite portion of the structure, and also acting to prevent independent longitudinal movement of the track members.

4. In a portable connecting-track, a combined cross-tie and clamp for connecting the switch pieces to opposite members of the structure, consisting of a straight bar, and pieces secured to the under side of its end portions and having their free ends upturned to form one lateral wall of a rail-seat, the other Wall of said seat being formed by the end of said bar. 4

5. In a portable connecting-track, the comof the permanent track and formed with pockets at their end portions to seat the said switch-pieces and rail members, the latter ;also having pocket-s or seats for the pocketportions of the said bars.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my sig nature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY O. STIFF.

OoRA G. Cox, II.- W. SMITH. 

